The ongoing VA scandal is indeed unfortunate and sad. In a speech on May 30, 2014, in Washington, DC, Eric K. Shinseki apologized for the “systemic, totally unacceptable lack of integrity” shown by some administrators in managing the Veterans Administration health care system hospitals and clinics. Within hours of the apology, Secretary Shinseki resigned.

It is clear that the trouble within the VA has been brewing for some time. The fuse that set off this latest explosion may have been whistleblower claims that managers at the Phoenix VA Medical Center were keeping two sets of books which logged wait times for veterans seeking primary care appointments. There are allegations that some of the delays resulted in veteran deaths. Acting VA Inspector General Richard J. Griffin issued a preliminary report confirming that Phoenix VA administrators had manipulated wait times possibly to assure more favorable annual performance reviews and higher bonuses and compensation for staff. The unethical behavior by those entrusted with the care of our veterans is inexcusable.

The Alden March Bioethics Institute offers a Master of Science in Bioethics, a Doctorate of Professional Studies in Bioethics, and Graduate Certificates in Clinical Ethics and Clinical Ethics Consultation. For more information on AMBI's online graduate programs, please visit our website.

What do Jenny McCarthy and Bill Maher have in common? No, this question is not a joke. It is a serious question, very serious. They are both television talk show hosts and celebrities. This is important. Talk show hosts have the capacity to deliver their message to millions of people. They have a built-in credibility just because their message is broadcast to the masses. Why would they put them on television to tell us stuff if they did not know stuff? Well, perhaps they do not know so much. Perhaps they are just expressing opinions. Perhaps their opinions are wrong, dead wrong. Perhaps in expressing their opinions they are influencing people to make decisions which are dangerous. Perhaps they are influencing people to put their children at risk of serious disease and even death. If they are doing this they are dangerous. Jenny McCarthy and Bill Maher are dangerous. Both have been using their celebrity status to discourage people from getting themselves and their children vaccinated against dangerous diseases.

The Alden March Bioethics Institute offers a Master of Science in Bioethics, a Doctorate of Professional Studies in Bioethics, and Graduate Certificates in Clinical Ethics and Clinical Ethics Consultation. For more information on AMBI's online graduate programs, please visit our website.

Stem cell tourism is a pejorative term used to describe clinics that offer under or untested stem cell interventions to patients with debilitating diseases. This includes Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, ALS, blindness, cancer, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury and many others. We used to think about stem cell tourism as potential patients traveling to clinics from countries like the US, UK, Canada and Australia to countries with lax regulations, but this simply is not the case anymore. There are several clinics within the US that offer under or untested stem cell interventions, some of which are being challenged by the FDA. The stem cell tourism market is an internet-based, direct-to-consumer market. There is a lack of scientific evidence and clinical research supporting the claims made by clinics in regards to the efficacy of these so-called “treatments”. The evidence sold to patients are testimonials by other patients saying how great they feel and how it has helped them and given hope. This is further fueled as some public perception studies indicate that several patients are frustrated and seem to distrust their domestic healthcare, research and regulatory system. So why offer these therapies? Well for starters, stem cell providers could make a ton of money (ranging from $5,000 to $30,000), especially because sometimes patients require repeated treatments. The market has more recently attracted celebrity types including several high profile athletes, Hollywood stars, and even a US State Governor.

The Alden March Bioethics Institute offers a Master of Science in Bioethics, a Doctorate of Professional Studies in Bioethics, and Graduate Certificates in Clinical Ethics and Clinical Ethics Consultation. For more information on AMBI's online graduate programs, please visit our website.